Karin Burns has led and invested in energy and climate organizations for more than 20 years. She has served as chief executive three times.

At the public agency San Diego Community Power, which serves nearly one million accounts, she was CEO from April 2022 to September 2026. As Executive Advisor, Karin helped raise annual revenue from about $385 million to over $1 billion and reserves from about $42 million to more than $500 million.

Her strategy linked a 2035 clean and renewable power goal with over 1 GW of renewable agreements and 1.5 GW of battery storage arrangements.

At Build It Green, she achieved four consecutive profitable years, cut turnover by 30%, reduced costs roughly 20%, and doubled revenue to $22 million. She later joined Franklin Energy following an asset sale and took on regional and national duties.

At Code REDD, Karin handled forest conservation partnerships and created Stand for Trees, a public-facing platform for voluntary REDD+ credit sales.

She gained investment and transaction experience at JPMorgan Chase, GE Equity, i2i Capital, Gulf Capital, and Ambata Capital Partners. Her record includes a $1.1 billion cross-border sale, an electric vehicle company transaction, and Asian investment outcomes of 3.5x and 2.5x.

Her background in renewables, electric vehicles, building efficiency, and carbon credits helps guide her operating and investment choices.

Her public discussions focus on energy markets and leadership. She has also guided AI policy and Microsoft 365 Copilot deployment.
She holds degrees from Harvard Kennedy School, Edinburgh Business School, and Duke University. A Fulbright Fellow in India, she also completed studies at Stanford, UC Berkeley, and the University of Washington.

Her international experience covers the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. She is proficient in Spanish and Portuguese.

Karin Burns lives in California with her husband and two sons. Her interests include skiing, swimming, and international travel.